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Friendships in WWE are never made to last. Bonds between friends and family are always tested by various obstacles, and whenever a Superstar becomes successful in the company, they instantly receive a target on their back.
Every star in WWE knows that no one can be trusted when championships are involved. There have been plenty of times where the best of friends shockingly turned on each other.
Over the years, it's become clear that even the bond of friendship isn't strong enough to overcome the desire that many superstars have to hold championship gold in WWE. Some of the biggest current and former stars in the company, and some of the best champions in history, reached that platform by turning on those who trusted them at the most opportune times.
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The following list looks at just a handful of current and former WWE Superstars who have proved that even their best friends don't stand in the way of their championship ambitions.
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#5. AJ Lee turned on Kaitlyn in order to challenge for the WWE Divas Championship
It was only a few short years ago when the women's division was dominated by the Divas Championship. AJ Lee and Kaitlyn came through the ranks in WWE together, and they were the best of friends following their stint in NXT.
"The Chickbusters" took over the women's division for several months before the cracks in their relationship began to show. Lee ultimately decided to leave her former friend behind after they suffered a string of losses.
Lee later went on to have various relationships and job roles on WWE TV before she circled back to the Divas Championship in 2013. She won a battle royal to challenge her best friend, Kaitlyn for the title.
Here, Lee showed her true colors by playing mind games with the champion. Kaitlyn started to receive letters and flowers from a secret admirer, and it was later revealed that this suitor was Lee all along.
In the process, Kaitlyn was humiliated, and she took her eye off the ball ahead of their match at Payback 2013. There, Lee won her first Divas Championship. Both women have since left WWE, but this engaging storyline in the women's division demonstrated that ambition often overrides loyalty.
#4. Kevin Owens turned on Sami Zayn for the WWE NXT Championship
Kevin Owens hasn't done well when it comes to friendships in WWE. It was well-documented during his time in NXT that he and Sami Zayn had travelled the world together. Throughout their journey, they became the best of friends.
The two men were happy to have landed in WWE at the same time, and they were sharing the experience together. But when Zayn won something that Owens wanted, "The Prizefighter" snapped.
At NXT Takeover: R Evolution, Sami Zayn won the NXT Championship for the first time, and his best friend came out to celebrate the victory with him. Owens' true nature was revealed when he powerbombed Zayn onto the ring apron and made it clear that he wanted the title.
Zayn and Owens later faced off at NXT TakeOver: Rival after "KO" refused to face Zayn in a non-title match. By winning the bout, Owens was able to hold the title just two months after his WWE debut.
Owens repeatedly powerbombed his former best friend, he was controversially handed the title when the referee stopped the match. WWE fans know that this isn't the only time in recent years that Owens has turned on someone who believed he was their friend.
#3 Rob Gronkowski turned on Mojo Rawley for the WWE 24/7 Championship
Mojo Rawley and Rob Gronkowski have been friends for many years, even before Rawley sought a career in WWE. The two men bonded over football, and they were able to bring their friendship to WWE programming on several occasions.
Back at WrestleMania 33, Gronkowski made a shocking appearance when he was able to help his long-time friend win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal for the first time.
Gronk later reappeared in WWE last year, and he won the 24/7 Championship at WrestleMania 36. Rawley won the Championship on Night One of the show when he pushed Gronk out of the way and pinned R-Truth. The following night, Gronk jumped from an elevated platform to take out his best friend and win the 24/7 Championship.
"Gronk" has since returned to the NFL, and Rawley has had very little TV time over the past year. As of this writing, it's unclear whether the former NFL star will return to WWE programming at any point in the near future.
#2. Bayley turns on Sasha Banks for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
Sasha Banks and Bayley have clashed many times in WWE over the past few years. But ther most recent conflict featured the SmackDown Women's Championship. This rivalry was one of the most heated storylines of the year in 2020.
Bayley and "The Boss" were WWE's Golden Role Models throughout 2020 before they lost their Women's Tag Team Championships to Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. Shortly after this defeat, Bayley betrayed her best friend.
Bayley was the SmackDown Women's Champion at the time, but it was clear that Banks wanted the title. Bayley decided to be proactive and attack Banks before she could officially threaten her title reign. Of course, this strategy wasn't a successful plan. At Hell in a Cell, Banks dethroned Bayley. After several attempts, Banks finally walked away with a victory in the steel structure.
Bayley and Banks remain on SmackDown together, but the two women have since moved on to different storylines. They definitely haven't looked to renew their on-screen friendship in recent months.
#1. Sheamus turned on Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship
The relationship between Sheamus and Drew McIntyre is the latest casualty of championship aspirations in WWE. Both men had made it clear throughout their time together on RAW that they had been friends for many years. The two stars have travelled the world together, and they've separately achieved a lot of success in WWE.
Sheamus had supported McIntyre, but the writing has been on the wall. When the Irish star cost the WWE Champion a match a few weeks ago, the two men brawled backstage. The two men moved on from this conflict, but it was still clear that Sheamus would turn on McIntyre at some point.
Sheamus' desire to become WWE Champion was too strong to overcome. The former world champion hit his best friend with a Brogue Kick before he made it clear that he wants a shot at the title.
Sheamus has been added to the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match. In this bout, hewill have to overcome McIntyre, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, The Miz, and Randy Orton if he wishes to hold the WWE Championship again.
